Few nights were spent without some of this!

Firstly, thanks to Patrick and Vicky for introducing us to this concept – a concept, or more a lifestyle, that is difficult to resist in Argentina. Flashpacking. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpacking_(travel)#Flashpacking) According to one website:

Flashpacker (def): Someone unusually in their mid 20s to early 30s, who travels like a backpacker but has more disposal income as well as electronics such as a camera, Ipod, or laptop. Flashpackers also expect better accommodation and amenities when they travel.

I suppose this was true until I lost my iPod Basically, what I’m trying to say is that after three months of budget hostels, dodgy $2 lunches, street food and instant coffee, we were ready to eat steak, drink wine, travel in style and feel normal. So that’s what we did. Welcome to Argentina!

First signs just over the border of Bolivia were good. Nigel’s sickness was on the mend and our first meal was steak, and red wine. Red wine at 2 pesos a pop. (About 30p) We also got acquainted with Kirk and Francisco from Canada and Chile respectively with whom we took the bus to Salta, the first of our stops in Argentina.

Salta is a very good looking city with the feel of a colonial town. The plazas welcome outdoor coffee drinking and the students and affluence welcomes numerous bars and nightclubs. However this was also where we realised that even on a Friday night, people don’t venture out until at least midnight, normally more like 1 or 2am. Fran and I didn’t have much company for our steak at 9pm! We did however manage to experience a peña on the way home – a hilarious and very unexpected experience of folk singing, ballads, tango, random dressing up and stomping and chanting and dancing and ventriloquist, which is where we left. (Language barrier!) Oh, and a light hearted piss-take of the “simple” Andean Indians (less than 1% of Argentina)

Colonial architecture in Salta

Cafe culture on Salta's main plaza

After a few days of wine, beer, steak and watching Andy Murray lose, we ventured north to Iguazú, home to one of the most outstanding waterfalls in the world – make your own opinion! Following Fran’s parents advice, we also took a boat trip into the falls, apparently a pleasant and sedate experience. I think not. Absolutely drenched and cursing we felt that this was probably not the same boat trip that Sue and Geoff experienced!

One of many views of Iguazú

Arty!

Once we’d dried out and warmed up, it was onward to Buenos Aires with a stop in Rosario on the way down. The journey south over the Pamapas was amazing! A night bus through fields of lightening and torrential rain, we’d never seen anything like it (and didn’t really want to except from a bus!). Expecting a lot from Rosario after a gleaming review in the Book of Lies (aka the Lonely Planet), we were slightly disappointed. The highlight, more for Fran I imagine, was playing tenpin bowling in a bar called Stroker (snigger) and Fran beating Nige two games to zero. I blame the cheap Quilmes beer One night was enough, so on to Buenos Aires – surely all the hype must be true and this would be an amazing place…

It was true! We’ve never really had food experiences like it (see the food section on Argentina coming soon), great wines, amazing city and good company. By this time we were in dorms because of prices and came across Patrick (from Cork, Ireland if I remember rightly) and his fiance Vicky (from somewhere in the West country, I should hazard a guess – axe me from facebook if I’m wrong!) A few drunken nights out and a drunken night in secured Buenos Aires a fond memory.

Fran and I spent a few days exploring the various districts: Microcentre (like Oxford Street), San Telmo – a cool historic area famous for Tango, where we saw a Flamenco show over a couple of tasty wines, La Boca – home to Boca Juniors and to Maradonna for some of his early and late career. (Gary will probably correct me). Of all the areas, we grew fond of Palermo, which is where our flashpacking really picked up. It’s rather like a Notting Hill feel, with leafy lanes and low rise buildings. Boutique shops and restaurants a plenty, it serves the youthful affluent demographic of Buenos Aires. Also home to La Cabrera, an amazing steak restaurant with lumps of meat the size of bricks. We managed to eat there twice in five days, as did Patrick and Vicky as far as I hear!

Nige and a HUGE sirloin steak!

Fine food in Palermo

The colour or La Boca, Buenos Aires

A Sunday bike ride along the Atlantic coast of BA

We could certainly have spent a LOT of time in Buenos Aires – budget and time permitting. However, the flashpackers had to continue to pick up some summer snow for Fran’s birthday.

Traversing the country west, we went to Bariloche in search of snow. A pretty lakeside town rather like Annecy in the French Alps, Bariloche had amazing chocolates, amazing lakes and national parks for walking, great hostels but unfortunately no snow. The local Cerro Catedral was more rock and trees than snow! So instead we spent a day hiking, paying a visit to the area’s nicest hotel once host to Fran’s parents (if only just to catch the bus). The fresh air deserved us a great lamb steak and a night out with some Auzzies and Kiwis until the early hours. 2.30am for Fran and some unidentified time for Nige. The next day we spent mostly in our bunk bed.

The Lake District, Argentina

Gandalf hiking in the Llao Llao national park

While the Antipodeans headed to Ushuaia for snow, we ventured north to the miserable town of Malargue. The only reason being that it is within an hour reach of arguably Argentina’s best ski resort – Las Leñas. We’re not pretending that it’s like a Meribel or St Anton, but it was sufficient for two days of great skiing. The first was very very cold, with winds up to 60kph and half of the resort closed, but with good snow following the previous days dump. The second day however (Fran’s birthday) was bright blue sky, sunshine and not a breath of wind. Absolutely amazing! Plus the Argentines don’t get out on the slopes till after midday so we had the morning of fresh powder on the previously closed pistes! I definately managed to carve my own lines down some of the mountainside! Amazing.

The summit of Las Leñas in the Andes

Perfect day!!!

The birthday celebrations begin!

For the last two hours we spent drinking champagne and fine wines before numerous renditions of Happy Birthday on the way home in Spanish, Catalan, English and Portuguese! With the remaining energy we went out to the towns best (or maybe only) restaurant for some more steak, more wine and some special birthday treats for Fran – Ice cream, another rendition of Feliz Cumpleaños, some Fernet Branca – disgusting local liqour, and some mondongo – cow pancreas. Nice.

Birthday celebrations over, we headed to Mendoza for our final flashpacking experience. Fran had checked us into a spankingly nice hotel for a few days to relax. We took some time to enjoy the tree lined streets of Mendoza and the Maipu wine region just to the south of the city. We took a very enjoyable bike ride around some of the vineyards and  the wine tasting continued well into the evening with more fine food and a visit to the Park Hyatt casino. More Gala Bingo than James Bond though, full of fat money losing balding men. Where did the glamour go eh?!

Winetasting at Trapiche

By this point we were getting pretty excited about being just days away from New Zealand and finding it difficult to do much other than eat and drink, so a day in the park with rose champagne and hams and cheeses was the most cultured we could get. Who would argue though?!

Our path out of Mendoza led us over the Andes in a painfully log bus ride but the scenery made up for it. Probably one of the highest public road crossings in the world, it weaved between mountain peaks and ski resorts, offering some fantastic views of lakes, the old railway lines and down into the Chilean valleys beyond.

On the way over the border, one last statement of denial...

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